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Albany, NY – In many Christian religions, men hold claim to the top leadership roles. While that's changing in some Protestant and other faiths, Catholics still reserve the priesthood for men. Well, not quite. 51%'s Jill Rontey tracked down some women who beg to differ.
Many Muslim cultures treat men and women very differently. In some cases, women must be completely veiled while men are free to wear Western clothing. In other cases, women are not allowed to own property or to live alone.
But these restrictions come from society, not from Islam, according to Daisy Khan. She's the executive director of American Society for Muslim Advancement. Kahn works to bring together Muslim leaders who see women as equal to men, to encourage all cultures of Muslim faith to adhere to the same principles. Julia spoke with Kahn just after she returned from a trip to Turkey.
Certain strains of the Jewish faith have long accepted female rabbis. Deborah Kassoff works for the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and every Friday she packs her car and drives to towns like Natchez, Meridian, Clarksdale, and New Iberia. Kassoff is a traveling rabbi, and she provides religious services to congregations too small to have a rabbi of their own.
During an assignment as a student rabbi in Greenville, Mississippi, Kassof fell in love with the South. She was drawn to the challenge to serve communities that are outside the Jewish mainstream and toward the intensity of Southerners' religious beliefs. Independent producer Philip Graitcer recently caught up with her in Helena, Arkansas.
Religious leaders can come in all forms. Evangelical Christian Anita Renfroe doesn't lead a congregation. She doesn't even preach the gospel. But she's got quite a circuit of her own, as a stand-up comedienne performing family-friendly material for women all over the country. Renfroe gained a huge following on YouTube, when she posted a video of one of her routines - a piece entitled Momsense, which she sings to the tune of the William Tell overture.
Due to the popularity of the video, Renfroe is constantly touring. She's picked up a regular gig on Good Morning America. A devout evangelical Christian, she's out to prove that christians can be funny. Renfroe spoke to me about her religion and her newfound success.